Rank the Young Bond novels

Books Other Continuation Authors
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This week’s rankings will deal with the Young Bond novels.

So how do you rank them? My order is as follows:

  1. BLOOD FEVER – (Charlie Higson) – Young James Bond accompanies some of his fellow Eton classmates on a school trip to Italy and finds himself crossing paths with an art theft ring. Colorful characters abound from the undaunted Amy Goodenough and the impassioned Vendetta Benetutti to the piratical Zoltan The Magyar, the Joker-like-looking Smiler, and the super-clean fanatic villain Ugo Carnifex. Bond faces danger on all sides and comes out of it stronger than ever. Really entertaining story.

  2. HEADS YOU DIE – (Steve Cole) – On holiday in Cuba, Bond tries to locate a family friend who has suddenly disappeared and encounters the powerful Audacto Solares aka Scolopendra and the mysterious La Velada. His investigation leads him to uncover a conspiracy to take down the British government. Great story. Never a dull moment.

  3. DOUBLE OR DIE – (Charlie Higson) – Another good story by Higson, this one finds Bond and his Eton pals solving cryptic crossword clues to find a missing professor. The answers lead Bond to London and a Soviet operation to use the professor to create a powerful computer. More great characters here led by Bond’s good friend Perry Mandeville, the coldly calculating Irina Sedova, and the dangerous brother duo of Ludwig & Wolfgang Smith.

  4. RED NEMESIS – (Steve Cole) – Bond teams up with an old pal, Adam Elmhirst, to head to Russia to get answers about his parents and learns he must go back to England to stop the Soviets and the return of La Velada from creating a catastrophe on greater London. Anya Kalashnikova is a solid Bond girl who develops more determination from her time with Bond. La Velada’s henchman Mimic is a terrific henchman who can perfectly copy anyone’s voice and does so to great effect. He’s one of the best secondary henchmen in the series.

  5. BY ROYAL COMMAND – (Charlie Higson) – Here we have it, the story where Bond gets involved with the Eton maid. And it’s a solid story too, involving a plot to assassinate the King of England. Bond encounters old adversaries and new ones as well as both old and new friends in a story that marks a turning point for our Young Bond. And that maid, Roan Power, makes for an entertaining Bond girl. Bond really comes of age in this one.

  6. HURRICANE GOLD – (Charlie Higson) – While Bond is staying with a friend of his aunt’s, industrial spies arrive on the scene and attempt to steal valuable plans just as a violent hurricane enters the area. Soon, Bond, a friend, and two kids are kidnapped by the spies. Eventually, Bond and the girl Precious Stone arrive at a criminals’ island from which there is supposedly no escape. But then, they never encountered someone like Bond. Memorable characters include Manny The Girl, Strabo, Charlie “Whatzat” Moore, and El Huracan.

  7. STRIKE LIGHTNING – (Steve Cole) – Bond meets steampunk. Admittedly, while not my favorite Young Bond story, this is not as bad as it might sound. Bond and his pal Perry investigate the death of a friend at Fettes and soon find themselves stowaways on a boat to the Netherlands. There they hear of a “ghost train” and learn they must stop the Nazis from getting a powerful new weapon. Great characters include the plucky Kitty Drift, the zealous Herta Axmann, and the creepy Hepworth Maximilian Blade.

  8. SILVERFIN – (Charlie Higson) – The first Young Bond novel. I had my doubts about the Young Bond series when I first heard about it, but Higson took it, ran with it, and made the most of it, resulting in a very surprising and satisfying series all things considered. This one sets up everything in the Young Bond world from his staying with his Aunt Charmian to first attending Eton. Bond grows up a lot in this one, learning some of the skills that he will go on to use in the future. This story finds Bond uncovering a plot to develop a special serum to create super soldiers. The most noteworthy characters are adventurous Red Kelly, the blustery Randolph Hellebore, and the cruel Cleek MacSawney.

  9. SHOOT TO KILL – (Steve Cole) – Bond and a select few of his friends are chosen to fly on a dirigible to Hollywood, CA, as part of a school trip. Along the way, Bond discovers a snuff film and traces it back to a Hollywood mogul who’s intent on snuffing out Bond. The story is ok, but it’s my least favorite of the series. Memorable characters are Hugo Grande, Boudicca Pryce, and the indomitable Tori Wo.

So how do you rank the Young Bond novels?

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